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Lazy youngster

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Kylaky
07 Mar 2010 13:08
 Our 15h 5year old WelshD/New Forest is so sluggish and averse to keeping a pace going. He can't wait to drop to walk or even stop. He tries a bit but you have to work hard all the time. We are worried to get too aggressive with him and as he is young we don't want to make him dead to the leg, crop or last resort spurs. In every other way he is great, responding really well on the ground to commands of back, turn, wait(whilst you walk backwards for 5 metres)picking feet from one side, so he crosses them over, loading, vet, grooming, clippers, farrier and dentist. It seems he'll never canter a full circle. Is it normal?
Horse Hero Guru
07 Mar 2010 20:57
 Hi Kylaky

No laziness is not normal. You don’t say when your horse was broken, but unless it was in the last few months, as a five year old he is not really a baby anymore. His breeding means that he should be mature and ready to work.

Assuming he has not just been backed and is healthy then he needs to learn that you are the one providing the food and he does what you ask when you ask. That does not mean that he has to be subservient or under pressure, he should work with you because he respects you and because you do the best you can to make his work interesting and enjoyable.

I presume that he behaves normally in the field and enjoys a gallop and run around like all horses. Even if he is a laid back character he should still work properly when asked, but what I am asking, is he generally healthy – not too fat, not too thin. You say he is good with farrier and dentist, so I assume that you his feet, teeth (and back?) are fine.

You say that he is good to handle, but how is he on the lunge? Does he slow to a halt when you work him on a circle? I suggest that as a first action you get him working freely forward on the lunge – look at the Richard Maxwell video on the lazy lunger and use those techniques to get him used to actually working harder than you.

If he is lazy only under saddle then check that his tack fits properly. He will have been growing and developing in the last couple of years so his saddle may well be too tight or his bit too small.

His role when you are riding is to continue doing what you have asked him to do until you ask for something different. If you ask him to trot he should trot at the same pace in a straight line until you ask him to turn, speed up, slow down or whatever. When you ride, make sure that you are giving him the freedom to do this – that means that you are not pulling on the reins to get him in to an outline nor sitting in the saddle with your back and hips braced, which is another effective ‘stop’ aid.

Assuming that you are not asking him to slow down by your riding style, are you making his work varied and interesting – I am not sure that I would give of my best if all I did was to ride round and round the same school doing circle after circle. Take him out hacking, hunting, jumping, ride (and race) with other horses – make his work interesting and stimulating.

Do you continually nag him with your legs trying to keep him moving forward? This tends to have the opposite effect – he just tunes out of the sensation and ignores it, leaving you with nothing to push him forward. The next thing is to teach him to respond to the aids immediately you ask him to do something. Remember that the key for all aids is ‘forward’ – to slow down you push him forward in to a closed hand, to speed up you push him forward in to an open hand – and the difference between open and closed should just be how tightly you are gripping the reins in your fingers whilst maintaining a light and even contact. That is how it should be, now to get him to respond to it. Suppose you want him to move from walk to trot – ask him gently and nicely – a slight half halt (momentary squeeze of the rein and heel) to get his attention then your aid to trot (please trot). If there is no response then ask again more clearly (give him the benefit of the doubt - he may not have heard). If there is still no response then demand a response – forget nice this is the ‘you will’ – drive him forward with a good kick, shout, and stick if necessary, to get a reaction. He should jump forward – maybe at a gallop, but at least it is a response, so don’t ruin it by jagging him in the mouth. Let him keep going for at least five strides before bringing him back to the original pace and repeating the process. He will learn very rapidly that life is a lot easier when you do what is asked at the first ask rather than having to go to the third stage.

If you feel him losing impulsion beneath you then ask for a drop in pace - make it your decision he comes down from canter to trot - but then immediately take him back to the required pace.

I am sure that with consistent riding (no slopping along at any time, he must always be moving forwards) you will get a far better mannered horse
Kylaky
08 Mar 2010 13:34

Thank you horse hero for answering so promptly. He was broken in Feb 08. As we are novice riders (my 13 year old daughter and I) I think we have had to consolidate slowly and this hasn't helped him. All the things you mention we are covering with our instructor but she says she didn't think he would be quite so unwilling. We have been out and about with him a lot, taking him in the trailer for hacks and he is much better. There is a competitive edge coming into him now, so he is improving. The problem is getting him to up his walk and trot without constantly reminding him to walk on. We give him 2 chances and then a sharp tap behind the leg with the dressage whip and sometimes he responds but others he bunches up and tries to buck or just ignores the whip. He may well walk on for say three strides and then lollops back down and then we start again. Having said all this, we had a lesson yesterday and our instructor gave my daughter some spurs to try. She bridged the reins and kept the crop by her boots and we saw a lot more of a response, including a big buck but my daughter rode him on and ignored it, so perhaps we will have to do a bit more of that in the school to wake him up and get him listening to us. We also loose schooled him a couple of weeks ago and he cantered and jumped very nicely including striking off on the right leg. It is good to hear that we are doing the same as you suggest and I will try the lunging as per Richard Maxwell - I have watched the video but will study the technique more carefully and try to apply it. Thanks again.
 

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